A few days after blocking PlayStation 3 users, Hulu has yet to respond to questions concerning the change which has only helped to fuel rumors it is related to the Microsoft ad campaign currently featured on the site, but that seems less likely now that we've confirmed it also began blocking the Flash-enabled Skyfire browser on Windows Mobile devices at the same time. Whatever the cause is, if you prefer a homegrown hack over something like PlayOn or TVersity, Eric over at ypass.net has put together a simple enough walkthrough for creating an "unblockable" workaround by setting up a locally connected PC running Linux or Windows with the freely available Squid proxy server software that will make your PS3 look like appear as a PC running a Firefox (or whatever you prefer) browser to any website that asks. Of course, just like the other solutions your computer will need to stay running to keep you connected, but we figure it's a small price to pay for enjoying relatively low res Flash video running on an HDTV.

Read - Got a PS3? Want Hulu Back? Easy enough...
Read - Squid-setup for Windows NT /2k /X

There's an awful lot of hubbub going around today about "new" terms in AT&T's wireless contract agreement that seemingly forbid streaming video from your television to your PC or your phone -- in other words, using a Slingbox -- which would seem to be a rewrite of language added and pulled a few weeks ago. Here's the problem: the terms aren't new, and they don't forbid video streaming. One of our editors has a month-old hard copy of AT&T's terms that were mailed to him after agreeing to a new contract, and they're exactly the same -- word for word.

Furthermore, the language in question is this: "This means, by way of example only, that checking email, surfing the Internet, downloading legally acquired songs, and/or visiting corporate intranets is permitted, but downloading movies using P2P file sharing services, redirecting television signals for viewing on Personal Computers..." but the problem is that the examples given here are referring to earlier language. In that language, we see that AT&T is more concerned about "server devices or host computer applications" -- that's subsection (i), if you're interested. In other words, AT&T's trying to stop you from uploading a television stream using its connection, not downloading -- and frankly, that sounds like the most painful operation ever conceived by man anyway, so we don't think we're going to get too many violators here.

In other words, rest easy; we still don't know whether the now-overdue SlingPlayer for iPhone will ultimately be approved, but if it's not, it shouldn't be because of this.

[Thanks, Mike and Tieguy]

My, my -- now isn't this something? Shortly after narrowly avoiding a dastardly collision with bankruptcy, Sirius XM is looking to connect itself with profitable enterprises in an attempt to build market share and regain interest from budget-conscience consumers. Just weeks after hearing that the sat radio company could be preparing a few Sirius / DirecTV bundles, CFO David Frear has now confirmed on a recent earnings call that the outfit is indeed developing an iPhone / iPod touch app. It's interesting to think that a satellite radio firm could be warming to delivering more content via the internet, but it's the apparent diversion from being a standalone offering that has us even more intrigued. It should be interesting to see how the pricing model works with this forthcoming app -- will users be able to get an iPhone subscription only? Will it be tossed in gratis with traditional subscriptions? So many questions, not enough patience.

[Image courtesy of SiriusBuzz]

16 gigs ain't enough space for all those episodes of The Hills on your iPhone? Well, if you've got a Buffalo NAS such as the LinkStation Mini or Pro, you can now access all your files remotely on your OS X mobile device through an optimized web page straight from your device. The really nifty part is that you can stream MPEGs over 3G (and presumably EDGE, though we don't know why you'd want to) -- although it took around 60 seconds to buffer a TV show episode in the demo we got. The Buffalo rep we spoke with informed us that an actual app would be available in the App Store sometime this quarter, but if you're itching to catch up with LC and the gang, be sure to check out any one of the aforementioned devices that support the service and you could be streaming pronto.

We knew Orb was working on an iPhone port of its media-streaming app, and it looks like Orb 2.0 just stealthily went live in the App Store. The $10 app lets TV junkies watch live TV from a tuner connected to a Windows PC, as well as stream music, videos, and photos from their libraries. Even cooler, Orb allows you to monitor a webcam, so you can finally nail those Diet Coke thieves from the comfort of your cube (or keep an eye on your infant, whatever.) Sadly there's no date for the Mac and Linux versions, but Orb says they're on the way. Alright Sling, looks like the ball's in your court.

[Via jkOnTheRun]

There's a decent chance you completely forgot about Qik, a nifty little startup that enables live audio / video streaming from feature phones to PCs, after hearing absolutely nothing from it since July. If so, it's all good -- the folks at Qik still want you to indulge in its first public alpha release for a slew of J2ME phones. For users with a Nokia 5300, 6300, 6500 classic, 6500 slide, 6555 or 8800 Arte, you can join your brethren with a Sony Ericsson K850, K858, W890, W910, W908, K660, G502 or Z750 in streaming live content right from your phone to your lovely posse. Give it a go and let us know how it turns out, will you?

Eager to live in the fantastical future it has prophesied, NTT DoCoMo went to CEATEC and demoed an upcoming addition to its Pocket U service: MH2H (Mobile Home to Home), which gives you the ability use your cellphone to stream content from your computer at home to a friend's TV. The phone connects to your friend's WiFi network and sends his or her DLNA-compliant receiver the IP address of your also-DLNA-compliant server, then tells said server to accept the connection and start streaming any videos, songs, or photos you feel like sharing. When you leave, the connection ends and every one goes back to partying on their own isolated media islands like it's 2006.

[Image courtesy of Tech-On!]

Apple's experimented with allowing iTunes to stream over the internet as well as your LAN in the past and quickly removed the feature (probably due to RIAA pressure), so we're not placing too much stock in this, but AppleInsider's unearthed a patent that seems to describe a way to stream music over the 'net to your iPhone / iPod touch. The goal is to prevent you from having to selectively sync content to your device -- instead, you'd sync just the metadata and stream whatever you wanted direct from your machine as though it was all stored locally. There are some obvious problems here -- it wouldn't work if you didn't have service (or over EDGE, really), most home upstream connections aren't that fast, etc., etc., -- but it's certainly interesting, and a welcome addition to local storage if it ever makes the scene. In the meantime, how about working in some of those new UI elements from the Remote app into the iPod app?

[Via Macrumors, thanks Mark]

You no longer need to know someone who knows someone who knows the founder of a VC firm sinking money into Qik to get in on its rather lovely streaming video action. We're just messing around, of course -- it was never quite that hard to get into Qik's invite-only alpha / beta before in our experience -- but it just got even easier with the popular service moving into an open beta phase. Offering both S60 and Windows Mobile clients (with iPhone allegedly on the way), Qik does a pretty stellar and unique job of streaming live audio and video straight from your handset to your millions of adoring fans glued to their computer monitors around the world (or just your mommy and daddy, as the case may be). So go sign up, paste your username down below here if you're so inclined, and just be sure you're not recording when you... ahem, don't mean to be. If you catch our drift.

[Via All About Symbian]

After a groundswell of hype that the rumored BBC iPlayer for the iPhone might be some crazy, Apple co-developed, SDK-usin' piece of kit, the reality is just a little underwhelming. Fact is, yes, the BBC-only streaming app has migrated to the iPhone -- but it's built entirely on the handset's existing technology stack, prior to the SDK announcement. Ah well, it's probably just as well considering that the content available on the beta-quality player is limited at the moment, and let's be honest: they're gonna need 3G to really rock, anyway.

[Via TUAW]

XM radio not so much your thing? AT&T's starting to roll out another officially sanction choice for streaming radio on some of its devices through a new partnership with Pandora. Basically, users can access their personalized Pandora stations directly from their handset -- up to 100 of 'em -- and the carrier specifically mentions that users can enjoy those stations anywhere within its 3G network, suggesting that the streams are probably of a high enough quality to actually be worth listening to. Check it out now on Samsung's SYNC, A717, and A737, the Motorola V3xx and V9, and the LG Trax, CU400, and CU405 for $8.99 a month.

Here in America, we don't take our home security systems lightly, but for those in Japan, it appears that they haven't resorted to installing sensor-triggered weapons in their windows just yet. The HC-1000 camera can be controlled via the internet or a FOMA mobile, and allows users to take a peek at what's going on without actually being on the premises. The device sports a three-megapixel CMOS sensor, Ethernet port, 802.11a/b/g, 2x digital zoom, and a QVGA video mode to boot. Additionally, a "defense support" system can enable the piercing siren to let loose a wail, and the built-in microphone / speaker can even open up two-way communication between you and your home-wrecker (or faraway relative). The HC-1000 itself will run you a modest ¥29,400 ($247), but those looking to totally lock down their dwelling can spend up to ¥141,750 ($1,191) for an elaborate whole home system.

[Via CScout, thanks Mike]

Squarely falling into the "you've got to be kidding" category, the Advanced Television Systems Committee has just announced that it will be developing its very own standard to "enable broadcasters to deliver television content and data to mobile and handheld devices via their DTV broadcast signal." In case you weren't aware, the world is quickly becoming over-saturated with hordes of other mobile television protocols, and just like the other guys, the forthcoming ATSC-M/H standard will be backwards compatible, which will allow "operation of existing ATSC services in the same RF channel without an adverse impact on existing receiving equipment." Among the services it hopes to channel are ad-supported (free to the user) television broadcasts, elusive "real-time, interactive services," subscription-based TV, downloadable content for on-demand playback, and there's even the potential for "real-time navigation" niceties in the future. Still, we're sure the standard will find a way to operate just fine, but unless a bidding war breaks out and the cost for mobile TV plummets due to all this competition, we're not really sure all these like-minded options are entirely necessary.

[Via MocoNews]

[Via Slashphone]

This certainly isn't the first time that shows from the BBC have been delivered in a non-traditional method, but now fans of the programming will have the option of viewing select episodes on their handset. Vodafone, Orange, and 3 customers will all be able to take advantage of the one-year trial, which will include BBC One, BBC News 24, BBC Three, and radio broadcasts, but unfortunately, "premiership football, some films and cartoons, and some overseas programs like Neighbours" won't be available on the mobile service. BBC is hoping that the trial will test both the "effectiveness of the 3G network and the demand for BBC channels," and if you're lucky enough to take advantage of said offerings, you can expect things to start rolling sometime this month.